Stadstekening 01 – De Grote Marktstraat op zaterdag

Babette Wagenvoort about her first city drawing: ‘I wanted to start with a place that I expect all the people of The Hague to know, that “belongs to all the people of The Hague”: the Grote Marktstraat. Almost everyone has been here at one time or another and therefore knows what it is like to be here when you are here for shopping (together) or when you are on your way to or from home, the trainstation, the town hall or a café. Moreover, the Grote Marktstraat is traditionally iconic ánd ‘very ordinary’, due to the combination of unusual buildings such as De Bijenkorf, more generic shop premises that can probably be found in every city and the people from many different backgrounds who come here.
Furthermore, I like starting with ‘a gathering in a place in The Hague’, which as a participant you are not immediately aware that it is a gathering at all. But when you notice how many people and cyclists you have to manoeuvre around to get from one side of the street to the other, it is clear that it is indeed ‘a gathering of people’. How you experience that – that coming together in this particular place – is what I try to draw.’

Read more about the city artist’s first city drawing here.